NASA Administrator Nominee Bill Nelson Through The Years

Fresh off a stint as legislative assistant to former Florida Gov. Reubin Askew, 30-year-old Bill Nelson, a Democrat, is elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 1972. After serving three terms in Tallahassee, Nelson wins Florida’s 9th Congressional District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

In January 1986, Nelson becomes the second sitting member of Congress to fly in space, following U.S. Sen. Jake Garn (R-Utah), as a guest observer and payload specialist on the six-day STS-61C mission aboard space shuttle Columbia.

Ten days after Nelson and the STS-61C crew land, the shuttle Challenger launches on the ill-fated STS-51L mission. The crew, who died after the shuttle’s left solid rocket booster failed, included Teacher in Space Christa McAuliffe, pictured with Nelson during weightlessness training aboard NASA’s KC-135 aircraft. After the accident, Nelson makes an emotional speech on the House floor during which he quotes from the writing of Helen Keller: “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” Pictured from left are prime and backup payload specialists for STS-61C and STS-51L Gerard Nagilton, McAuliffe, Nelson, Barbara Morgan and Robert Cenker.

Following a failed bid to win Florida’s 2000 gubernatorial race, Nelson wins the U.S. Senate seat vacated by retiring Republican Sen. Connie Mack. Nelson is reelected in 2006 and 2012 but loses a fourth bid in 2018 to then-Gov. Rick Scott.

With the cancellation of Constellation, Nelson in 2011 emerges as one of the Senate’s staunchest supporters of the Space Launch System and Orion deep-space capsule. After a decade of development, during which the space launch industry has transformed, the rocket is due for its debut flight test in late 2021 or early 2022.

Nelson leads Democratic opposition to President Donald Trump’s nomination of U.S. Rep. Jim Bridenstine, an Oklahoma Republican, to become the 13th NASA administrator, saying a politician should not be in charge of NASA. A year later, Bridenstine, pictured with Vice President Mike Pence, is narrowly confirmed by the Senate for the job. Bridenstine later appoints Nelson to the NASA Advisory Council, following Nelson’s failed 2018 bid for a fourth Senate term.

President Joe Biden on March 19 nominates Nelson to become the next head of NASA, overseeing a $23 billion annual budget and 50,000-member civilian and contractor workforce. Nelson is pictured here with then-Vice President Biden and Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.) in Miami in 2012.